Gene Sharp

Gene Sharp "is Senior Scholar at the Albert Einstein Institution and founded the Institution in 1983.

"He holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Ohio State University and a D.Phil. in political theory from Oxford University. He is also Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. For nearly thirty years he held a research appointment at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs.

"He is the author of various books, including The Politics of Nonviolent Action (1973), Gandhi as a Political Strategist (1979), Social Power and Political Freedom (1980), Making Europe Unconquerable (1985), Civilian-Based Defense (1990), and From Dictatorship to Democracy (1993, 2002, and 2003). His most recent book is Waging Nonviolent Struggle: Twentieth Century Practice and Twenty-First Century Potential. His writings have been published in more than thirty languages." 

In 1983 he founded the Program on Nonviolent Sanctions in Conflict and Defense at Harvard University.


 * 1974-76, Rockefeller Foundation fellow in conflict in international relations pdf

Degrees SupervisorsCV

 * John Plamenatz (assigned to supervise Sharp by Alan Bullock)
 * Kurt H. Wolff

Criticism of Sharp from the Left

 * Brian Martin, "Review of Gene Sharp, Making Europe Unconquerable", in Social Anarchism, No. 12, pp. 54-56 (1986-1987).
 * George Ciccariello-Maher, "Einstein Turns in His Grave: AEI and Venezuela", CounterPunch, April 16, 2008. (Includes email from Gene to George.)
 * Michael Barker, "Activist Education at the Albert Einstein Institution: A Critical Examination of Elite Cooption of Civil Disobedience," (pdf) Refereed paper presented to Activating Human Rights and Peace: Universal Responsibility 2008.
 * Michael Barker, "Sharp Reflection Warranted: Nonviolence in the Service of Imperialism", Swans, June 30, 2008.
 * Stephen Gowans, "Overthrow Inc.: Peter Ackerman’s quest to do what the CIA used to so, and make it seem progressive", What's Left, August 6, 2009.
 * Michael Barker, "From Sharp to Lovins; Elite Reform as Social Change," Swans Commentary, July 26, 2010.
 * Stephen Gowans, "Is Gene Sharp Superhuman?", What’s Left, February 16, 2011.

SourceWatch resources

 * Open Letter in Support of Gene Sharp and Strategic Nonviolent Action
 * Adam Roberts
 * David Riesman wrote the foreword to Sharp's Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives (1970).

Other resources

 * "Gene Sharp", (Biographical note), Undated, Accessed June 2007.
 * "CV", (Biographical note), Undated, Accessed June 2007.
 * Stephen Zunes, "Sharp Attack Unwarranted," Foreign Policy in Focus commentary, June 27, 2008.